# Lord of the Rings



## Brilliant (Jan 28, 2010)

I'm currently reading the whole series starting with the hobbit, and I got the idea to start a collection of the lotr inspired pipe tobaccos. I have found a few so far, frog morton, the name of the others escape me at the moment but they are the lotr pipe weed tobaccos. Anyone have any suggestions


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## ChronoB (Nov 4, 2007)

Brilliant said:


> I'm currently reading the whole series starting with the hobbit, and I got the idea to start a collection of the lotr inspired pipe tobaccos. I have found a few so far, frog morton, the name of the others escape me at the moment but they are the lotr pipe weed tobaccos. Anyone have any suggestions


Greg Pease has several LOTR themed tobaccos that he releases for pipe shows, but unless you feel like spending a lot of money good luck getting any unless you're AT a pipe show.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Can't help you on the pipe weed, but I just stopped by to congratulate you on your adventure. You are embarking on a world of literature and psychological experience that is unmatched.

Enjoy every word!


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## thewileyman (Apr 14, 2009)

Check out JustForHim.com's Middle-Earth series. I really like "Shortcut to Mushrooms," and I'm not the only one; it's very highly rated at tobaccoreviews.com.

McClelland's Craftsbury series (some of which you've discovered, apparently) is made up of mostly LOTR-inspired blends: Frog Morton, Frog Morton on the Town, Frog Morton Across the Pond, Frog Morton on the Bayou, Grey Havens. I highly recommend Frog Morton on the Town, and Grey Havens is pretty good too. I haven't tried the others.


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## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

Grey Havens and Deep Hollow are also part of the Craftsbury Collection along with Frog Morton. Just for Him has a LOTR line with Shortcut to Mushrooms, Treebeard, Ruins of Isengard and Old Toby. Of course the GLP blends would be great but don't come cheap (there are also a couple of discontinued McClelland blends you might be able to find at a premium--Trollshaws and White Downs.) Also in a similar vein you might want to try some Capstan Medium Navy Cut (it's not available in the US but can be had from Europe) which was the tobacco favored by JRR himself.

edit...looks like I was posting at the same time as Thomas. Sorry for the duplicate info.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

I've only seen the films, but I've never understood the seemingly huge connection people make with pipe smoking and LotR. Even if there's more smoking in the books than movies, I still don't get the draw which I see here and online quite often. Why do people come away from the series with a sudden interest in churchwardens and themed tobaccos?

This isn't an attack, but I'm honestly a little baffled why the influence is so great. It's not the only description or depiction of pipe smoking even in recent times. There Will Be Blood, Shutter Island, Inglourious Basterds, and Sherlock Holmes all featured lots of pipes.

On the manufacturer's side, because there is a draw out there, I do see the sense in making homage blends and inspired churchwardens - because there's money to made, and you don't even have to buy rights for non-official homage product. Still, why's that draw so prevalent? It's almost silly to me, that people take that away from LotR. As if people watched Terminator 2 and suddenly pursued becoming leather-clad bikers with thick Austrian accents.


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## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

Good question Drastic. I can only answer from my point of view of course. In response to one point you've made I would say that tobacco makes perhaps even a more minor showing in the books than in the movies when one considers the total amount of words devoted to smoking compared to the length of the books. And yet pipe smoking weaves it's spell throughout the books in important ways. It's used to define character (almost always positive with one big exception, Saruman... a fallen angel of sorts), for humorous effect, to demonstrate persistence, wisdom, friendship, loyalty and other virtues and themes that run through the books. I could go into individual details of characters and scenes but I don't want to bore you as you haven't read the books. But anyway, I think it's the virtues represented by pipe smoking in the books that draw people people so deeply to the "art" as the hobbits call it. I don't think this comes across in the movies although the pipes look cool. For example, I don't think anyone in the books smokes a churchwarden. As for pipeweed being anything other than tobacco (something more than hinted at in the movies) people seem to forget the last line of The Hobbit is "Thank goodness!" said Bilbo laughing, and handed him the tobacco-jar. Just my 2 cents worth of course.


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## thewileyman (Apr 14, 2009)

In the books, smoking a pipe is portrayed in a very positive light, and is closely linked to the relaxed, idyllic Hobbit lifestyle. I think that's part of the appeal.


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## lord sevein (Aug 31, 2010)

I recently started my pipe smoking journey and have been a HUGE fan of the literature for years. I was actually going to make a post asking this same question. Thanks for the info guys!



drastic_quench said:


> I've only seen the films, but I've never understood the seemingly huge connection people make with pipe smoking and LotR. Even if there's more smoking in the books than movies, I still don't get the draw which I see here and online quite often. Why do people come away from the series with a sudden interest in churchwardens and themed tobaccos?
> 
> This isn't an attack, but I'm honestly a little baffled why the influence is so great. It's not the only description or depiction of pipe smoking even in recent times. There Will Be Blood, Shutter Island, Inglourious Basterds, and Sherlock Holmes all featured lots of pipes.
> 
> On the manufacturer's side, because there is a draw out there, I do see the sense in making homage blends and inspired churchwardens - because there's money to made, and you don't even have to buy rights for non-official homage product. Still, why's that draw so prevalent? It's almost silly to me, that people take that away from LotR. As if people watched Terminator 2 and suddenly pursued becoming leather-clad bikers with thick Austrian accents.


I think the biggest difference between the pipe smoking represented in media like Sherlock Holmes and LOTR is the role the tobacco plays. In Sherlock Holmes and the like, pipes are only a prop - something used to show eccentricity and "old world" class and nothing more. It's as easy to miss as the fliers that cover the alleyways during much of the rising action of the most recent Holmes movie. (BTW check some of those out - they're really funny if you can pause on a clear frame. :mrgreen

However, In LOTR pipe smoking (and tobacco use in general) is what I call a "important bit player". The people of Middle Earth revere and respect smoking as an art. Important characters don't just smoke, they approach it with the same anticipation, eagerness, and excitement as they do a battle, meeting up with old friends, or being triumphant in the end. Perhaps it is just human nature, but we tend to gravitate towards things we know. Living in the anti tobacco world that we do now, it can be really refreshing to see this ready acceptance. Personally, I can tell you that I was able to remember the passages about tobacco even before I began smoking. They were just written that well!

ipe:


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## x6ftundx (Jul 31, 2008)

look up this on Ebay NASPC this is the lord of the ring pipe tobacco that GL Pease makes every year. Kinda pricey but great for LOTR people. I have the full set. Took forever and it wasn't cheap...


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## FriarWhently (May 3, 2010)

The Pipe Room used to sell their tobacco online, several blends of which were LOTR-inspired. But it has been several years since it was available online and the blends underwent a less copyright-infringing name change. I think they're based in Florida, so if you're in the area, go to their establishment and try their stuff.


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## Brilliant (Jan 28, 2010)

Didnt think this would turn out to be such a interesting topic for people. I was wary of the justforhim tobacco thought it might have been a gimmick but seems like people like it, ill have to give it a shot.


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## commonsenseman (Apr 18, 2008)

I got the justforhim sampler last week. So far I've only tried the Longbottom leaf, it tasted like a cheap aromatic to me.

Hopefully the rest of the sampler is better.....


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

drastic_quench said:


> I've only seen the films, but I've never understood the seemingly huge connection people make with pipe smoking and LotR. Even if there's more smoking in the books than movies, I still don't get the draw which I see here and online quite often. Why do people come away from the series with a sudden interest in churchwardens and themed tobaccos?


Well, here's my read on it. Forget the movies, it's the books that do the trick. Tolkien is able to capture in his prose the tranquil effect of smoking that we pipe smokers love. When you read about Bilbo and Gandalf sharing an evening over their bowls of tobacco after you've finished your own stress filled day, it just sounds too magical to pass up.


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## laloin (Jun 29, 2010)

the scene that best tell it for smoking a bowl of tobacco after a stressful day is after merry and pipen found a cask of old toby after the water recede after the battle of isnegard.
they seem soo relaxed after that stressful battle, now the tree people don't take to kindly to leaves being burned heheh
troy


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## Enlil (Jun 10, 2010)

A good pipe and a good book. Timeless. What more could you ask for. A good drink and a comfy chair? Now THATS entertainment.


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## TXsmoker (Sep 6, 2010)

MarkC said:


> Well, here's my read on it. Forget the movies, it's the books that do the trick. Tolkien is able to capture in his prose the tranquil effect of smoking that we pipe smokers love. When you read about Bilbo and Gandalf sharing an evening over their bowls of tobacco after you've finished your own stress filled day, it just sounds too magical to pass up.


I grew up reading The Hobbit and LOTR, and did most of my learning to read sitting in my dads lap listening to him read them, while he smoked a pipe. Im planning on ordering the JFH LOTR sampler.


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## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

TXsmoker said:


> I grew up reading The Hobbit and LOTR, and did most of my learning to read sitting in my dads lap listening to him read them, while he smoked a pipe. Im planning on ordering the JFH LOTR sampler.


It must have been a wonderful experience having the books read to you by your dad. Tolkien always said that he wrote the books to be read slowly and preferably aloud.


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## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

All right...after all this good discussion I couldn't resist throwing in one of my favorite pipe scenes from the books for those who haven't read them and wonder about how pipe smoking is presented throughout. A bit of context for those who haven't read the books... the person Merry refers to in the following passage who has died is King Theoden who had never seen anyone smoke a pipe but was fascinated by it and vowed to learn more when he had the time. He was killed in battle and the time never came. Anyway...here's the passage...

_"Good!" said Merry. "Then I would like supper first, and after that a pipe." At that his face clouded. "No, not a pipe. I don't think I'll smoke again."

"Why not?" said Pippin.

"Well,' answered Merry slowly. "He is dead. It has brought it all back to me. He said he was sorry he had never had a chance of talking herb-lore with me. Almost the last thing he ever said. I shan't ever be able to smoke again without thinking of him, and that day, Pippin, when he rode up to Isengard and was so polite."

"Smoke then, and think of him!" said Aragorn. "For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of shadows to a fair last morning. Though your service to him was brief it should be a memory glad and honourable to the end of your days."

Merry smiled. "Well then,' he said, "if Strider will provide what is needed, I will smoke and think."_

Anyway, there are many great pipe smoking scenes in the books, but that is one of my favorites.


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## Granger (Jul 24, 2010)

laloin said:


> the scene that best tell it for smoking a bowl of tobacco after a stressful day is after merry and pipen found a cask of old toby after the water recede after the battle of isnegard.
> they seem soo relaxed after that stressful battle, now the tree people don't take to kindly to leaves being burned heheh
> troy


This scene wasn't in the Theatrical Release, but was added to the Extended DVD Release.


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## TXsmoker (Sep 6, 2010)

indigosmoke said:


> It must have been a wonderful experience having the books read to you by your dad. Tolkien always said that he wrote the books to be read slowly and preferably aloud.


It was. It also caused problems. Since both my parents were readers, I picked it up at a young age. The problem was that when I started kindergarden, they tried to kick me out for being too ahead of the class. Thus started my hatred of the public school system, and my love of learning.

I did just pick up a tin of Grey Havens and a tin of Frog Morton and Im about to see how they go with the books.


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## Baphomet (Apr 15, 2015)

Thanks for the tobacco links! I'll have to try them (and share them with my father) now.

I just read the ruins of Orthanc scene again today, and their discussion of the barrels of leaf reminded me of a barrel shaped tobacco jar my dad had decades ago. I've found the same one he had online, but sadly it's plastic (as was his). What I REALLY want is one with real wooden stays and stamped with the maker's mark (just read it again today and already I can't recall if it was Old Toby or Long Bottom) and year (1417, Shire reckoning) - My father and I both enjoy Lord of the Rings and pipe smoking. It would be a great thing to share. Would that I were a better woodworker...

As to the fascination, here's something else to consider. As stated, in other literature it's just a prop, and Tolkien writes of the act of smoking in a favorable light. But in addition to that, both in the stories and the Appendices (very much worth reading if you like the stories), he and the characters go into much detail not only about the art of smoking _but various 'brands' and vintages of the leaf itself (Old Toby, Long Bottom, etc.)_. It really makes the subject come alive and piques the interest of the reader. If you had any interest in pipe smoking to begin with, it really makes you want to explore it in Middle-Earth terms. Even if you had no interest to begin with, you at least walk away wondering what all the hullabaloo is about. Tolkien really had a way of doing that with his writing.

Wow! I just realized I resurrected a thread from 5 years ago. Sorry.


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